


Strange

by Bootleg_Pokestar



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Hilbert is depresso expresso, N tries to hate Hilbert but fails miserably, build up to a bigger story, but he’ll never tell you, mystery sprinkled in for spice, slight mentions of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 12:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21036560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bootleg_Pokestar/pseuds/Bootleg_Pokestar
Summary: N knew his journey to liberate Pokémon was going to come with meeting some of the strangest people around.Even when he’s ready to meet some Arceus-awful people, nothing could of prepared him for someone like Hilbert to so casually walk in and get him to question his reality.





	Strange

**Author's Note:**

> Story from the POV of N

He was always a rather strange boy. As soon as I first locked my eyes on him I knew I was looking right someone completely out of the ordinary. 

This kid had purposely lied about a Krookodile’s “anger management” just so he could destroy all of our flags that once proudly declared our team’s very name to the word. I was initially repulsed by his cheeky excuse to commanding the Krookodile to tear apart all of our equipment. 

“He has terrible anger issues.” The boy had said, “You see, he’s a rescue Pokémon. His previous owners had him battle in those illegal underground matches that often ended with gory finales. Poor guy even has this terrible burn from one of his more brutal matches. I took him in and gave him a safer home. However... he can still get easily over stimulated and go on rampages. I hope you can forgive this little cutie for the mess he made.”

And when they asked what had gotten the Krookodile so riled up at them? 

“You must of reminded dear Jeremy of the people who hurt him.”

That last line in particular was laced in insincerity. The way it spat out of his mouth was as if he was mocking each and every one of us. Repulsive behavior from someone who called himself a dignified Pokémon trainer. Such despicable manners, he was willing to use such a tragedy to get out of trouble. Don’t even want to think of how the Pokémon actually got that giant burn covering it’s left side. 

I had overheard the whole thing. The two people beside him, who I assume are his friends, were already chewing him out. A shorter kid wearing a fancied up suit and tie was furious at him for purposefully letting the Pokémon destroy someone’s property. I was not in the mood for more dense trainers to be using their poor Pokémon that day and had to step in myself. It didn’t take me long to pin point his lies. As soon as I had asked him, he confessed as if he had did nothing wrong at all. His overly sarcastic comment made it clear he couldn’t care less about what he had done. I tried to get more out of him, but all I could get where shrugs pushing away the conversation.  
When I asked the Krookodile I got nothing but grunts. Not even the Pokémon he forced around with him where willing to talk to me. To think he keeps his Pokémon so closed in that even outside their Pokéballs they refuse to speak. 

A rather sneaky thought had snaked its way into my head. Was this not at all due to the closed in relationship trainers and Pokémon held? They where both rather similar. Much like the Krookodile burns, the boy’s left arm was no were to he seen. Did they suffer the same accident? The identical snarky attitude towards the situation, the way they both held themselves. It was like they where twins. I wanted to shake out the thought so badly. It was glued in tight. Never to leave my mind ever again. This panic lead me to make a rash decision. 

I battled him that day. Better said, I attempted to battle him. All I wanted was to hear Krookodile‘s voice. But I didn’t get that chance. When I sent out Purrloin, he sent out an Oshawott from its prison. It’s fair to assume a trainer would want to use their strongest Pokémon yes? Surely a Krookodile was stronger than the newly received starter. My curious nature lead me to ask him why he choose to leave them out. 

“Krookodile can’t battle. His burns make it hard for him to move well and I don’t want to make the scars any more severe.” The boy had stated bluntly. 

I choose to accept his answer. Truthfully I didn’t want to hurt the Pokémon any more than it had already suffered.  
Even then I never stood a chance. He was nothing less than a proficient battler. There was no way he didn’t have previous experience with the intricate way he gave out commands. It was like his second nature. Even with how obviously offbeat he and Oshawott were I still got trounced. This boy was no laughing matter. 

Oshawott was much more open than the two others. I had taken in everything they had to say. Nothing the Pokémon had said was even remotely negative. I assumed it was only because they had just recently gotten together but it felt wrong. It’s something that has been lingering in my mind ever since then. What a strange Pokémon. 

There was no need to continue on further. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything more out of such a boisterous young man. We both parted ways. Not before one last conversation. 

“You’re walking down the wrong path N.” The sudden nature of his words surprised me at first.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t hear me. Keep going like this and I promise you’ll regret every little thing you did that lead up to what’s to come.”

“You know damn near nothing about me or what I plan to do. A close minded individual like you could never see the bright future I see for the world of Pokémon.”

He paused only to laugh my response off in the most forced way imaginable, “You’d be surprised by what I know. I know some things not even you know yet. Just take my advice while you can. You’re being lead on, N. Start thinking for yourself before you truly become a puppet of your own ideals.” 

Just like that he left without saying another word. Leaving me nothing but confused about the encounter. I stood there for what felt like hours. Contemplating the strange nature of this kid who thought he knew better than me. Eventually I was dragged away by Ghetsis who had taken notice to my distant stares. He asked me what had happened to leave me there like so. I told him that I had met a rather odd trainer. Ghetsis was quick to tell me to ignore anything they had said. “They where blind to the truth” was always his go to response. Normally I would agree and move on. I couldn’t this time. 

Something about him gave a vibe of real sincerity. Despite the shallow lies he’d first spoken. It had to have been the look of his eyes. That tired look that spoke volumes more than what his sarcastic outside showed. It wasn’t your average lack of rest tired like someone who didn’t get enough sleep the night before. This was much more sorrowful. His defined body wasn’t fatigued in any visible way. All I saw was the face of a boy who was tired of life. Sick of the world he was living in. He wanted out of a place he despised so much. That’s what I got from the distant look in his eyes.  
We are a lot more alike than what outside appearances may tell you. I’m sure he’d never admit it, but he must see it as well as I did. 

The boy didn’t lose that look when we met again at the Nacrene history museum. I caught him leaving Pinwheel Forest once I’d taken some time to explore the museum. My curiosity was still at full power from our last encounter so I wasn’t going to miss my chance to try and get more out of him. 

He was rather annoyed with me now. Firmly stating he just wanted to get his gym battle over with. Perfect time to distract him more to keep any more Pokémon from getting harmed.  
I’d ask him if he could see the future I could see. A future that would be a perfect utopia for Pokémon to be free from their worst troubles. He said no. Of course a trainer like himself couldn’t see the perfect world I had planned to create. Yet with those tired, longing eyes, I desperately wanted him to see my future. To leave him here without purpose would waste a perfectly good life. Perhaps this was exactly what he needed to be freed from his own plague he’d casted upon himself. To fill the empty hole in his being that made him so dreadfully deserted. 

I offered another battle. A battle to show what he was missing out on. He chuckled at my little remark, calling me foolish for believing in such a silly concept. He had taken my challenge only to get rid of me faster. If it wasn’t obvious enough, I had lost. This battle wasn’t about winning or losing. I had hoped to open his eyes to the reality of the world around him. After all that he didn’t seem to care any more than the lowball he was playing. Ignoring all of what my Pokémon and his had to say. How annoying.  
There was so much I had wanted to ask at that very moment. To many questions running around my mind that I eventually had to go against bringing up. Instead I had a broader question that would give more than enough information to satisfy. 

“You have heard of the legendary dragons of Unova, haven’t you?”

The question brought him to visible levels of disgust. Levels I never even knew had existed, “Kinda hard not to know them living here.”

“Then you must know of the untold power they possess to change the world together with a hero.”

He stayed quiet surprisingly. The kid looked ready to sock me right in the gut. I didn’t know it was possible for someone to hate something as much as he did upon mentioning the dragons. His eyes told a much different story now. A story of pure hatred and a desire for vengeance. Strange how powerful of an aura he gave along with the thick tension that was building. The dragons haven’t been awake for hundreds of years. How could someone hate something so passionately that hasn’t been around in centuries? 

Taking the hint that he wasn’t going to say anything, I continued on, “I plan on befriending the Deep Black Dragon Zekrom and with their guidance... I’ll change the world into a perfect reality for Pokémon. I may not be strong enough to change the world now, but with the legendary dragon of ideals by my side, I’ll be able to force the world into seeing my new world fit.”

“The little fuckers would never let you get that far”, the boy muttered under his breath with a near murderous intent no-so-subtly ringing in his tone, “The only thing they’ll ever let you do is watch as they destroy the thing you worked so hard to build. What makes you think you’re so special compared to any of the heroes that have come before you ey?”

I was stunned, frozen in disbelief.

“Well?” He pursuited, “What in your delusional head makes you think you’re someone worth giving a damn?!”

A break in the noise cleared out my mind. Sure the question was sudden and his tone was anything but welcoming, but I had his answer, “I know exactly what I want. Past heroes only had chunks and bits planned for what they wanted. I have a clear goal in mind. A goal that is for the great good of a world that is falling apart.”

He scoffed, “What a stupid fuckin answer.” He hesitated, as if he didn’t even believe in his own answer, “You know what? I don’t wanna deal with your bullshit anymore. I won your stupid battle and as I expected, I got nothing out of it. Want to go change the world? Fine. Be my guest. But I swear to the heavens if you bring any of the dragons into this you’ll only end up with a region full of corpses. Try thinking about what you before you do it. Goodbye for now.”

I watched as he angrily stomped away, disappearing into the gym’s entrance. Didn’t even give me time to respond to his last statements. With nothing left to do, I traveled my way to my next destination. There was always something so clingy about his ideas that could never leave my head easy. It would be easy to just call him insane and move on with my life, but it wasn’t that simple. That all came from the heart, the very depths of his soul that reached out and wrapped their arms around his figure. I couldn’t ignore such raw emotions. If only he could give me more information. Maybe then I can firmly give my verdict. Until then, I had to keep on with my plan. I had to stick to my ideals. Then I could prove him wrong about the dragons. 

....

The wonderfully illustrated colors of the setting sun painted the empty walls of the Ferris wheel carriage. I haven’t been in here for long time. Me and the mystery boy hadn’t said a word to one another. Hunched over with a Pokéball in hand, he had taken to messing with the small piece of metal technology. The simple way he rotated the ball with his thumb and index finger was oddly mesmerizing. I’d found myself staring at the steady motion for some time. Appreciating the gentle care that went into the mini balancing act. 

Time came to a crawl and I could not longer entertain myself, the silence was getting to be to much for me. 

Mustering up some needed courage, I forced myself to speak, “Excuse me, there is something I need to tell you-“

He interrupted me almost immediately, “Please don’t. Just please on Kyurem’s good name don’t continue.”, The same tired look at had been plastered on his face only grew more solemn. 

“Is something wrong?” 

He was muttering to himself just barely being able to be heard, “I... I don’t need to be reminded. I already know what you are going to say. ‘I’m the king of Team Plasma blah blah blah I trust Ghetsis even know he’s a whole bitch and a half, blah save the Pokémon blah.’ There. Did I get it right?”

I was taken aback. But how? He was no member of Team Plasma, he made extra sure we all knew he hated us. Why is acting like he’s heard this all before? Said line for line like a bad cliché in a mediocre movie.  
“Y-you know already? But how?”

“I’ve always been good at guessing.” He snarkily retorted. 

“No. No I can’t keep this up. Your hiding something aren’t you? Back at Pinwheel when you just knew that my followers had the skull in hand before they could even get to Castelia. Our entire conversation at Nacrene. You’re hiding something. Something HUGE. What is it that you know that the you won’t speak on because the world just can’t keep up with you?”

The boy had taken a firm grasp to the Pokéball he was messing with and attached it back to his belt. His hunched position took on a much more exaggerated form with his eyes solely focused on the ground. He muttered something to himself. A quite whisper that no one could dream of picking up on except for him. 

“I’m not letting up so easily this time.” I announced firmly, “I can see you’re no ordinary kid. There’s a hidden gift that’s deep inside your being that is begging to be dug out and shown to the world. I don’t know why your being so secretive or why you seem to know so much yet so little all at once. You’re-“

“An anomaly?” He finished. 

“... Yes. An anomaly. Ghetsis said he did a bit of research on your background. He sees the same potential in you that I do. Want to know what he found?”

“Not particularly. Don’t really need to know what some psycho thinks of me who’s trying to pry into my personal life.”

I ignored his remark, “Nothing. He found nothing. There were some adoption papers from your mother officially stating you were apart of the family, but other than that? He said his best agents couldn’t find anything. No birth certificates, barely any proof of your trainer’s card, and a single medical record of a visit about an overtake of smoke in the lungs. What they did find? Papers on top of papers about a kid who died seven years ago in the large house fire. A kid that happen to not only LOOK exactly like you, but even have your same exact name. That’s not a coincidence. Not when you have no real records of your existence and the one thing we find are files of someone who’s been dead for seven years now. What unspeakable sin did you make to have to go faking your own death? Is that the reason you’re arm is missing? Did the police say ‘fuck it’ after they saw the arm and called you dead? So? What in the world is going on with you?”

He stayed quiet in the small corner of the carriage he resided in. Must of not wanted to speak upon it. I heard the ramblings of a madman come from his mouth. At least I assume so, he was still to quiet to hear. 

“Speak up already. You have no where to go and I refuse to leave without some answers.”

His soft, silent voice grew just a bit louder, “I fucking swear if you lay a finger on my family.”

“I’m not talk about your family.”

Slowly his voice was getting more pronounced, “You breached their privacy to get information on me. Which means you know where they are. I don’t trust you to not go and try to hurt them.”

“Listen. I promise we won’t send anyone at all to your parent’s place if you can help me by answering my questions.”

“... I can’t do that.”

“And why so?”

“You’d never believe me. No one ever believes me. I’m better off taking my chances protecting my family then trying to tell you what my personal life was once like.”

“Really? You’d rather risk your family’s lives than tell me what’s happening to you?”

“I dare you to try and send your army towards their house. See how many dead bodies you have to burry because they thought they could get away with having their grubby hands all over my family. I don’t give a shit.” 

Never knew this kid could be so ridiculously stubborn, “Holy Zekrom you are the most aggravating person I have ever dealt with. And yet I can’t seem to hate you.”

I grumbled at the thought. Why did his damn eyes have to carry such a sad story with them? It would be much easier to hate him without it. 

“Ditto.”  
The very last thing he said before the Ferris wheel came to a stop. He left in a rush, not looking back to see if I would bother to follow. 

I didn’t bother to give chase. Thought I would learn more, I’d only ended up with more questions. Guess I got a little something, but it really wasn’t much at all. I was always one for solving puzzles, but this puzzle had too many missing pieces to be worked around. We’ll see each other soon enough again and repeat this same tired cycle. Any progress is good progress I say. I’ll get the answers I want eventually. 

He has to be my hero. My counterpart in the story of the twin dragons. I’m certain of it. Definitely doesn’t strike me as the truthful type though. Maybe the Vast White Dragon Reshiram will see the things my eyes can not. A perceptive Pokémon like them will be able to spot out his good qualities. Once that is done, I can only hope that Reshiram will share some of its own knowledge onto me about this boy I have multiple unusual experiences with. 

Oh Hilbert. What a perfect name you have. A strange name for a strange individual.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This whole little story is a small test to a bigger story I have planned in the back of my head.  
I’m not sure if everything here will be “canon” when the official story comes out, but I think I’ll be keeping a decent bit. 
> 
> The bigger story I plan to make will all be coming from Hilbert’s perspective and is sort of the telling of his life. Which is why I decided to make my test story from N’s. Not too spoilery ;)
> 
> Mainly wrote this to help flex my creative muscles and to get back to writing


End file.
